- Today's Word
Disseminate
dih-SEM-uh-nayt
Definition
(verb) To spread information, ideas, or materials widely.
Example
he campaign aimed to disseminate accurate health information across rural communities.
Fun Fact
Disseminate shares roots with seed—from Latin seminare, “to sow.” The word began as a metaphor for planting ideas and has stayed that way across disciplines. Whether it’s sharing research, propaganda, memes, or medical advice, dissemination is what turns one person’s insight into a public idea. It’s especially common in academic, media, and public health circles.
(adjective) Relating to or involving strong, controversial argument or debate; characterized by aggressive dispute or refutation
The professor’s polemical lecture on economic inequality divided the auditorium cleanly between those who cheered and those who walked out.
Polemical derives from the Greek polemikos, meaning “warlike” or “hostile,” from polemos (“war”). It entered English in the 17th century as a theological and philosophical term, describing fierce written disputes between religious factions — before broadening to cover any form of aggressive intellectual combat.